47 comments:

This is a really cool submission. The balance of the ordinary (a bird) with the extraordinary (the amazing skyline) is aptly depicted.

And no I haven't read the book. Though I can tell you that India and the Philippines are very much the same in terms of class disparity, poverty, and an abundance of squatter communities. Thank you for reading!

9-11 was a sobering event. From what I understand, there are many New Yorkers who have yet to get used to the "unobstructed" view of the river that they now have. Thanks for getting what I was going for.

I know it is just a pigeon but, I used him/her to represent all of those New Yorkers who still feel guilty/angry/sad about 9-11; especially when they look out over the city and see "what's not there" any more. The view in the photo is gorgeous but, to many, it will make them sad. That convicted emotional take was what I was attempting to capture.

Sometimes I wonder about myself when I read so many "shitty" poems inspired by this photo. lol My first thought was that the pigeon was wondering where the Nature went and how the world below was no longer its' world. Secondly, I thought of 9-11 and how such a beautiful vista would be met with mixed emotions by those not so happy to see clearly to the Hudson. Maybe my next submission should be toilet humour from the get go? :)Thanks for liking my work. I appreciate your kind words.

I always go with my first instinct which is usually the best. I think your piece proves that. I have a lovely pic of the WTC that I took days before 9-11. Now, every time I see that view, I think of it as a gaping hole. Like a front tooth is missing.

Thanks, Joe. I am not an American but, I can appreciate how sadness can fill our minds when we lose our symbols. To look out upon this scene, as the pigeon does, and not be happy, requires examination. This is what I was going for. Glad you found it interesting.

I agree with you Tom about all the poop poems. I'm not a fan of pigeons, and even feel a bit queasy when I see all the tourists depicted in St Mark's Square feeding them. If we thought of them as doves and considered the lovely sound they make it would make a difference. Your piece is moving and thoughtful. Nice work.

Thank you very much for your comments. Sometimes, we don't realize what we truly value until it isn't there anymore. Life cab still be beautiful yet, sometimes, it doesn't quite seem as beautiful anymore, I suppose.

He's not meant to be a villain but rather, he is meant to represent New Yorkers who look at their skyline and react emotionally (sadness/anger/regret) to the loss of the Twin Towers. As "Guardian of Gotham", the pigeon is watching the skies in order to prevent anything airborne from wreaking havoc on his city. The same way many New Yorkers look at the empty space that is Ground Zero and say, "Never again!"

No, "Guardian of Gotham" is a New York City reference. New York City has been referred to as Gotham City for a long time, way back to Washington Irving days. Batman based their Gotham City on NYC but, that did not factor into any part of my poem.The pigeon is, however, on guard over all he surveys, as you correctly pointed out. In the 9-11 context, he is guarding the skies over Manhattan to prevent anything like that from ever happening again. He does like his view because, like many New Yorkers, he misses the Twin Towers as a part of the skyline and has conflicting emotions about that loss.

Incredible reference to 9-1-1, Tom. It haunted me when it caught me (off-guard) from that point of view. Very compelling. One of my earliest blogs was dedicated to 9-1-1 (though it was on the loss of a beloved one, in any circumstance). If you ever get the chance, I'd love to hear your feedback on it. It's entitled, Recesses: http://humantriumphant.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/recesses/

I am honoured very deeply that you have invited me to view such personal work. Of course I will offer my feedback. I will do so on the blog with "Recesses" on it. I have already read it. Before retiring for the night tonight, I will put my thoughts down for you. Thank you for making such a wonderful gesture. My weekend is now complete! :)

I've never been to NYC, and am not familiar with the city's geography; now that you've pointed out the former location of the Twin Towers, I no longer envy the bird his view, it would be much nicer if it was still obstructed.

Must be so traumatic to recall that fateful day!We in India have our 26/11-so many innocent lives lost..What a powerful message your post conveys!The lines ,"Each coo, a declaration From a heart madly asunder",touched me deeply.

I wonder if they do notice. When we first moved to Abu Dhabi, we read a ton of reports about how the bird population in the entire middle east suffered for the mirrored, high-rise buildings in Abu Dhabi. The birds would fly right into them and fall down dead. It was enough of a problem to be a major news story. I wonder if, in some perverse world, the birds are happy the buildings are gone??? I've never thought about it before.

Thank you for your comment and for answering a question I had. During the week, on Twitter, you asked how we were doing and I replied to you. You, subsequently replied that the sun was rising where you were. It was almost 10 pm where I was in Ontario, Canada. I couldn't picture a location in the continental US where the sun would be rising at 10:00 my time. Abu Dhabi, eh? :) Good morning to you, then.